The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-08-27
CARRIER PIGEONS.


The project of the signal service
to establish communication between
Key West and Nassau by means of
homing pigeons is one that prom
ises to be of some utility. 1t is
proposed to take a few score young
birds, which, after being carefully
trained, will be delivered by Install
ments to captains of departing YES
sells for liberation at various distan-
ces from the coast. These distances
beginning at few miles, will be
gradually increased in successive
trials as far as the West India is
lands. 1t is thought that the pigeon
can make the distance between
Nassau and Key West in an hour
and a-half, and can thus bring def
mite and prompt information of the
weather prevailing in the islands.
Pigeons have now become a reg
ular part of the military establish
ments of France and Germany and
to some extent of Austria, Italy,
Spain and Russia. They occupy a
position as unquestionable in dig
nifty and Importance as that of
bicycles for scouting service, or of
dogs for sentry duty in some Ger
man garrisons. According to Capt.
Allatt, who lately delivered paper
before the British Royal Service
Institution on the Military Pigeon
Systems of Europe" there are now
about $50 private flying clubs in
Germany and 800 in France, whose
birds are trained for stocking the
military lofts. On the eastern from
tier of France there are said to be
ten stations fully supplied with
birds, communicating either direct
ly or by intermediate stations with
Paris. Germany, however, stands
at the head of European nations in
her military pigeon service, which
has been very carefully fostered by
the war Office. Indeed, if we rightly
remember, much excitement was
recently caused by the report that
the German carrier pigeon service
had already been utilized to convey
important military information
from France.
The idea Of using pigeons as war
messengers is, however, very old
one. They were so employed with
great success in the siege of Paris
in 1870, and it may easily be un-
derstood that if they are of use
now, whenever telegraph or signal
communication is not available,
they must have been still more so
in earlier times. Half a century
ago there was pigeon post across
the British channel. In England
alone, according to Capt. Allatt,
there are about 2000 trained birds,
of which fully fifth can fly 200
miles, and the remainder between
100 and 200. The losses in train
ing, on account of storms, straying
away, birds of prey, and other
causes are very great, but the sport
of rearing the birds and competing
with them is carried on with the
greatest zest. In our country, also,
pigeon flying has its full share of
devotees.
The suggestion has more than
once been made by army officers
that military pigeon service would
be of special use in the far West,
in cases of expeditions in regions
long distant from either rail or
wire, and where travel is made
enormously difficult from the ma
ture of the ground or the dangers
to a single carrier or small party in
the presence of hostile Indians.
The first use Of pigeons at the siege
of Paris was obtained by sending
the birds out in balloons, and from
that time there was winged COM
munication between the besieged
city of Paris and the seat Of the
French government at Bordeux.
By means of photography and the
microscope the birds were able to
carry, in small quills, securely at
tached to their feathers, very long
messages put on their films. These
expedients were increased in inge-
nuity and value by experiment. 1t
is clear that in the West, where
dispatches of importance have to
be sent back to a fort by any ex-
peditionary party, the pigeon might
prove to be a most useful military
messenger.